Copywriting or Content Writing: Sales vs. Brand Awareness

While there is a growing awareness of the importance of content in marketing online, the question still exists: What is the difference between Copywriting and Content Writing?

In March 2014, the Content Marketing Institute offered a research report listing brand awareness as the key content marketing goal of 82% of marketers.

So, what type of content can actually help you to meet this goal?

Traditionally, the goal of Copywriting has been to sell. Copywriting could be defined as the art of using words to engage, on an emotional level, and persuade a reader to take the desired action.

Content Writing, on the other hand, does not focus on the sale, though effectively writing content can definitely lead to increased sales. Instead, Content Writing is more about combining the skill of an able copywriter with the intuition of an experienced journalist to increase brand awareness via relationship building with readers in a way that:

The bottom line is this: Once you understand the differences between Copywriting and Content Writing, you may find that each has a place in your marketing efforts. To maximize the effectiveness of either, you’ll need to be able to clearly identify and define your immediate and long-term goals.